Description:
This introduced perennial grass is 2–3½' tall and unbranched. The
culm is light green, hairless, and terete (round in cross-section); the nodes
of the culm are green and glabrous. The blades of the alternate leaves are up
to 1/3" across and 9" long; they are dull green to greyish blue, hairless,
flat, and linear. Their margins are scabrous, while the base of each leaf blade
is usually more wide than the culm. The ligules have brittle papery membranes.
The sheaths are dull green to greyish blue like the leaf blades. The culm
terminates in a spike-like panicle of florets that is narrowly cylindrical;
this inflorescence is up to 7" long and 1/3" across. The spikelets are densely
packed together along the entire length of the inflorescence. Each spikelet is
about 3.5 mm. long, consisting of 2 glumes that are appressed together and a
single fertile lemma. Each glume is about 3.5 mm. long; it is ciliate along the
keel and terminates in an awn that is shorter than the glume. The lemma is
shorter than the glumes and enclosed by them; its upper margin is truncate and
dentate. The lemma encloses a membranous palea with a single flower that
consists of 3 stamens and a pair of feathery styles. The blooming period occurs
during early to mid-summer and lasts about 2-3 weeks. During this time, the
anthers of the flowers release prodigious amounts of pollen. As the grains
ripen, the cylindrical panicles of spikelets become light brown. The root
system consists of fibrous roots and short rhizomes. Tufts of plants are often
formed, sometimes forming sizable colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun,
mesic conditions, and a loam or clay-loam soil. This grass is somewhat
aggressive in disturbed areas; it does not tolerate regular
lawn-mowing.
Range & Habitat:
Timothy is a common grass that occurs in every county of Illinois (see
Distribution
Map). It was introduced from Europe as a source of hay for horses and farm
animals. Habitats include fields, disturbed meadows, fence rows, vacant lots,
powerline clearances, roadsides, and waste areas. Timothy is still cultivated
as an agricultural crop; it is found in disturbed areas more often than natural
habitats.
Faunal Associations:
Various insects feed on Timothy, including Aptinothrips rufus (Red Grass
Thrip), which has been found in its seedheads. The caterpillars of the skippers
Polites mystic (Long Dash) and
Thymelicus lineola (European
Skipper) feed on this grass, as do the caterpillars of the moths Leucania
pseudargyria (False Wainscot), Oligia fractilinea (Lined Stalk
Borer), and Cosmiotes illectella (Elachistid Leaf Miner). The seeds are
eaten to some extent by the Bobwhite and a variety of granivorous songbirds
(see Bird Table for a
listing of these species). Mammalian herbivores graze on the foliage of
Timothy, including the Cottontail Rabbit, White-Tailed Deer, horses, and
cattle. Among small rodents, the Deer Mouse has been observed eating the seeds,
while the Prairie Vole eats the leaves (see Whitaker, 1966; Cook et al.,
1982).
Photographic Location: A
powerline clearance in Busey Woods of Urbana, Illinois.
Comments: This charming grass has escaped from
agricultural fields and can be found everywhere. The most distinctive feature
of this grass is its narrowly cylindrical seedheads; the mature foliage is
somewhat coarse. Unfortunately, Timothy is a major cause of allergies in some
areas because it releases large amounts of pollen during the first half of
summer. For this reason, some people may be less than charmed to find its
presence in their neighborhood. While there are other grasses in Illinois that
have cylindrical seedheads (e.g., Setaria spp. and Alopecurus
spp.), their spikelets are usually more bristly and shiny from the presence
of long hairs. The short hairs that are observable on the inflorescence of
Timothy are actually paired awns of the spikelets. These awns are flexible
rather than stiff while the spikelets are still green. This grass was named
after a farmer who advocated its use during the early 18th century, hence the
common name 'Timothy.'